ARB Esperance V2 vs Vickywood CUMARU EASE 135

The ARB Esperance V2 and the Vickywood CUMARU EASE 135 are both hardshell tents in the same part of the market, which makes them a genuine head-to-head rather than a comparison across categories. ARB and Vickywood take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.

By the numbers, the ARB Esperance V2 brings 58 kg, 2.85 m² of floor, 113 cm of headroom and sleeps 2. The Vickywood CUMARU EASE 135 counters with 69 kg, 2.6 m² of floor, 145 cm of headroom and sleeps 2.

The Esperance V2 is 11 kg lighter at 58 kg against 69 kg, which on a factory roof rated for 68 to 75 kg is often the difference between a legal fit and a rack upgrade. Inside, the Esperance V2 gives 2.85 m² of sleeping floor against 2.6 m², about 10 percent more, though both are rated for 2. Headroom separates them further: 145 cm in the CUMARU EASE 135 against 113 cm, which is the difference between sitting up to dress and doing it lying down. Their list prices are within a few percent of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one.

The Esperance V2 uses heat-treated ABS; the CUMARU EASE 135 uses aluminum 6 Series. Canvas differs too: 200GSM poly-cotton canvas (fire retardant); 210D silver-coated oxford rainfly against recycled 320 g/m2 ripstop polyester, PU-coated; rainfly 420D Oxford polyester, 5,000 mm water column, UV 50+. Closed, the CUMARU EASE 135 sits 8 cm lower on the roof — 25 cm against 33 cm — which is drag you carry on every mile you are not camping.